Son of Cannock mine worker appealing for help after seeing father's 'unjust' and 'painful' death

John Broadhurst says his father Roy, who joined Littleton Colliery in Cannock at the age of 17, says his father met an ‘undignified and unjust death’ of Mesothelioma just three months after he was diagnosed with cancer last November, at the age of 84.

John is asking for former colleagues who worked at the National Coal Board’s (NCB) mining site, between 1950 and 1960, to come forward and help the family understand how their father died.

It is believed the father of two, who also worked at additional sites in Sneyd and Essington, may have come into contact with the fatal dust through conveyor belts, lagging on boilers and buildings constructed from asbestos sheeting.

Asbestos is the only confirmed cause of Mesothelioma and was used in manufacturing a wide range of products and building materials until a ban on it in 1999.

Due to the insidious nature of the toxic fibers it typically takes 20 years for victims to show symptoms of the incurable illness.

John, aged 59, who lives in North Yorkshire, said: “Dad was an extremely proud and private man who never complained and raised us to focus on the positive things in life. That never changed, not even at the end, when he was enduring a very undignified and unjust death.

“It was horrendous to watch him die in such pain. Mesothelioma is an ending nobody should have to endure, especially if it is caused by simply going to work to provide for your family.

"We, as a family, need to understand why this happened to him and without that clarity, it is hard to let go of the anger and upset and focus on the positive memories we have together.

“We discovered his illness through his medical notes after a run of hospital visits, just a few months before he died. I was not prepared to read the words ‘asbestos-related cancer’.

"I desperately wanted to understand how he had been exposed to it, but he clammed up as soon as I tried to ask any questions.

"Even then he was determined to limit our pain by saying that everything was fine and there was nothing to worry about.

“Dad was a wonderful, normal hard-working man who loved football, a pint with his friends, and going to bingo with mum.

"He was incredibly dedicated to my brother, Jamie, and his grandchildren and is greatly missed by us all.”

Asbestos disease specialists, Hodge Jones and Allen, have been instructed to help the family search for answers surrounding Roy’s death.

Isobel Lovett, asbestos disease lawyer at Hodge Jones Allen, said: “Roy’s family have been left devastated by his death and are understandably struggling to comprehend that his life was brought to an end by exposure to asbestos.

“We are appealing for any past colleagues of Roy’s to come forward and help us with our investigation.

"Any information regarding the conditions of the mining site and materials which workers were exposed to, could be vital in ascertaining whether asbestos was present at the time Roy worked at Littleton Colliery.”

If you think you may have information which could help the appeal, please contact Isobel at ILovett@hja.net or phone 0808 291 1557.